Even the King of Just-Do-It,
Tony Robbins, must have days where he feels unmotivated. It’s only natural to
find yourself in a slump, every now and then—suffering through days where you
just don’t feel like doing anything productive. If you find yourself feeling
this way, take heart. You’re not alone. I’ve felt the same way. I have found
that, if I allow one day to pass where I don’t write, it easily turns into two,
and then three. But I have found a few ways to kick-start my motivation. I hope
these suggestions help you get off your duff and get moving in the right
direction.

1.Stir Your Inspiration – The best way I have found to find inspiration as a
writer is to read good books. When I get lost in a great story, I always find
myself wanting to create stories and characters of my own. Reading good books
is never a waste of time for writers.

2.Daydream –
As a writer, I spend a lot of time in my head, visiting my characters, my plot,
my story location. Daydreaming about your book is a wonderful way to churn up
the kind of excitement you need to finish that first draft.

3.Make Lists –
I don’t know about you, but I am always more productive when I make a To-Do
List and check off the items as I accomplish each goal.

4.Find Support
– Finding a group of like-minded authors that you trust is important when
you’re in need of motivation. Challenge each other to reach the day’s goals and
hold each other accountable. Taking a razzing from your author friends might be
the push you need to get those pages written.

5.Keep Your Duff in the Chair – I have found this is half the battle. If I force
myself to sit at my desk, even if I’m not feeling motivated, I will eventually
begin to write. Persistence really is key being productive.

6.Eat the Elephant One Bite at a Time – Break any chore down into small jobs. Don’t say,
“I’m going to write a chapter.” Don’t even say, “I’m going to write a scene.”
Do say, “I’m going to write one page.” Once you write that one page, you can
build on that small success and confidently dive into the second.

7.Focus on the Goal, not the Difficulty – Become very aware of your thoughts. Do not allow
yourself to think negatively. This is so
hard! I’ll never finish this book! These thoughts will only further squash
your creativity and your motivation. Instead, ponder how good you’ll feel when
you finish that one page, that one scene, that one chapter. Think about how
wonderful it will be when you complete that book, when you upload it for
Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBooks. Think about how great it will be to read those
5-star reviews.

8.Celebrate Your Creativity – Writing is hard work, there’s no doubt about it.
Give yourself a pat on the back when you reach a goal. You’ve earned the right
to feel good about what you’ve accomplished. But don’t party too hard or too
long. Remember, there are always more pages to be written.

Motivation is like the great
ocean tide; it swells and ebbs. Take full advantage of those times when your
excitement to work is strong. Get those pages written! But when the inclination
to create seems nowhere to be found, I hope you’ll re-read the list above, get
off your duff, and kick-start your motivation!

I'm a USA Today
Bestselling Author of over 30 romance and women’s fiction titles. Learn more about me on my blog. Or connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. I love to hear from readers. My latest project is a 10-book, multi-author bundle entitled
Ten Brides for Ten Heroes available for Kindle,
Nook,
Kobo,
and iBooks.
It’s also available on Smashwords.
Look for the Ten Brides for Ten Heroes Cookbook, offered FREE at the same venues.

If you're an Indie Author, you should know about Brenda Hiatt's yearly Show Me The Money survey. Brenda gathers information on earnings from Indie Authors and publishes the results on her web site. The survey is always filled with eye-opening information that all Independent Authors need to know.

It's that time again. Zucchini and yellow squash are plentiful in
the garden and we're all looking for some new recipes. (We can only eat so much
zucchini bread, right?)

Here's a recipe for Mock Crab Cakes that's very tasty and easy to
make. Give it a try!

2 cups coarsely grated zucchini or yellow
squash, unpeeled

1 medium onion, minced or grated

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon OldBay seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 egg, beaten

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. If it
seems too dry, add another egg. If is seems too wet, add a bit more bread
crumbs. Add a tablespoon of oil to a frying pan and heat. Form mixture into
patties and fry 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Ten Brides for Ten Heroes spans the gamut of the ever-popular wedding romance genre—from heartwarming laughter to thrilling adventure, from sweet to steamy. This 10-book bundle features novels by New York Times, USA Today, and National bestselling authors. So get ready to toss the bouquet and say, "I do!" as ten brides risk it all to find their happy ever after.

Ten Novels Box Set by Ten Bestselling Authors.

Here Comes the Bride by Theresa Ragan—New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Theresa Ragan has garnered six Golden Heart nominations in Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Competition for her work. After writing for twenty years, Theresa decided to self-publish in March, 2011, and has sold over one million books since that time. Theresa writes medieval time travels, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and thrillers under the name T.R. Ragan.

Donna Fasano has sold nearly 4 million books worldwide. One of her proudest moments was seeing her book, Reclaim My Heart, on the USA Today Bestsellers List.

USA and New York Times bestselling author Rebecca York is known for her paranormal romantic suspense. She is a two-time RITA finalist, a winner of two RT Career Achievement Awards, and a Prism winner. She hates working at a desk and takes her laptop around her house, followed by the cats who want to sit on her lap and make it difficult to type. She's currently finishing a novella in her Off World science fiction romance series.

International bestselling author Rita Herron has won numerous awards including a Career Achievement Award from RT, the National Reader's Choice Award for best romantic suspense and the Maggie Achievement of Excellence. She has written over 60 novels and is known for her dark romantic suspense stories as well as her romantic comedies.

Mona Risk recently received an Outstanding Achiever Award at Affaire de Coeur Magazine. From Best Romance Novel of the Year at Predators & Editors Readers Poll, to Best Contemporary Romance of the Year at Reader’s Favorite with two Gold Medals, and EPPIE award finalist, Mona Risk’s name was posted on Amazon.com in the 100 most Popular Authors in Romance list for several months.

Helen Scott Taylor, Helen's first novel, The Magic Knot, won the American Title contest in 2008, was a Golden Heart® finalist, and was chosen as one of Booklist's top ten romances of 2009. Since then, she has published other novels, novellas, and short stories in both the UK and USA.

International Bestselling author, Annie Jones, is best known for her quirky characters who handle life with heart and humor in small town southern settings. Though she has won awards and garnered praise from reviewers her favorite writing encouragement remains the letter from a reader who said simply "I love your books but I'm a fast reader. Please writer faster."

Nationally bestselling author Alicia Street is a Daphne du Maurier Award-winner often writing in collaboration with her husband, Roy. She is known for her memorable characters and fun stories that tug at your heartstrings. She spent many years as a dancer, choreographer and teacher. A compulsive reader of every genre, she also loves watching old black-and-white movies and inventing new recipes for soups.

Bestselling author, Mimi Barbour, is the creator of five popular series – The Vicarage Bench, Angels with Attitudes, Vegas, Elvis and the newest, Undercover FBI. She’s an Indie author whose admiration comes from the hundreds of five-star reviews her twenty-four books have earned over the last few years. Mimi's been known to say "If I can steal my booklover's attention away from their everyday grind, absorb them into a fantasy love story, and make them care about the ending, then I've done my job."

Patrice Wilton is best known for her successful Candy Bar series, and new romantic comedy series, Serendipity Falls. She’s written more than twenty novels, spanning twenty-some-odd years, and has achieved her goal and childhood dreams of being a successful author. She has contest wins and awards to be proud of, but her greatest achievement is a three-book contract for her returning war Hero series to a major publishing house. Patrice’s biggest pleasure is reading her many wonderful reviews and knowing she’s touched her readers deeply, making them laugh and cry.

I watched this video today and decided I wanted to try this method of cooking and husking corn on the cob. My husband and I followed these easy instructions and... IT WORKED! The husk and silk slipped right off the cob, easy-peasy. Try it for yourself. I'll never shuck corn again!

Many years ago, I received a
book from a friend called The Mafia Cookbook by Joseph “Joe Dogs” Iannuzzi. I
love this book! Not only are the recipes delicious, but Joe Dogs offers anecdotes that give us a peek inside The Mob. Although the stories are always interesting, often fun, and even exciting, the biggest take-away for me is that the Mafia is dangerous. It’s
not a group I’m interested in getting mixed up in. BUT that doesn’t stop me
from enjoying Joe's recipes. Here’s one of my favorites:

Caponata

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 large onions, chopped into ¼
inch cubes

4 cloves garlic, smashed and
minced

½ lb prosciutto, sliced and
cut into ½ inch pieces

2 slices bacon

10 ounce jar black olives, drained,
pitted, and sliced

½ cup heavy cream

1 ½ lbs perciatelli pasta
(see image below)

1 cup Parmesan cheese,
freshly grated

3 egg yolks, beaten

Heat the oil in a large
frying pan. Add onions and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add proscuitto
and bacon and cook until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon and discard. (Here’s
where I disagree with Joe Dogs. I leave the bacon in the sauce!) Add olives and
cook until very soft, stirring often (about 10 minutes will do). Whisk in the
heavy cream until fully incorporated. This is your sauce. Keep warm. Meanwhile,
add pasta to a pot of boiling, salted water. Cook to al dente (check package instructions). Drain well (do not rinse) and
return hot pasta to pot. Add Parmesan to pasta and toss to coat. Add the egg
yolks slowly, tossing the pasta so that all strands are coated. Place pasta
onto a large platter and spoon cream sauce over top.

Serves 6 adult portions.

Serve with a green salad and
fresh bread for sopping up all that creamy, rich deliciousness!

Although The Mafia Cookbook I own is now out of print, you can get The Mafia Cookbook: Revised and Expanded which is available in Paperback and for Kindle.